| Actual Event: |
A disaster (natural or man-made) that has warranted
action to protect life, property, environment, public health or safety. Natural disasters include
earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc.; man-made (either intentional or accidental)
incidents can include chemical spills, terrorist attacks, explosives, biological attacks, etc. |
| After Action Reports (AAR): |
The AAR documents the performance of exercise related tasks and makes
recommendations for improvements. The Improvement Plan outlines the actions that the exercising
jurisdiction(s) plans to take to address recommendations contained in the AAR. |
| Agency: |
A division of government with a specific function offering a particular
kind of assistance. In ICS, agencies are defined either as jurisdictional (having statutory
responsibility for incident management) or as assisting or cooperating (providing resources
or other assistance). |
| Agency Representative: |
A person assigned by a primary, assisting, or cooperating state, local, or tribal
government agency or private entity that has been delegated authority to make decisions affecting
that agency's or organization's participation in incident management activities following
appropriate consultation with the leadership of that agency. |
| All Hazards: |
Any incident caused by terrorism, natural disasters, or any chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear,
or explosive (CBRNE) accident. Such incidents require a multi-jurisdictional and multi-functional response
and recovery effort. |
Area Command
(Unified Area Command (UAC)): |
An organization established (1) to oversee the management of multiple
incidents that are each being handled by an ICS organization or (2) to oversee the management
of large or multiple incidents to which several Incident Management Teams have been assigned.
Area Command has the responsibility to set overall strategy and priorities, allocate critical
resources according to priorities, ensure that incidents are properly managed, and ensure
that objectives are met and strategies followed. Area Command becomes Unified Area Command
when incidents are multijurisdictional. Area Command may be established at an emergency operations
center facility or at some location other than an incident command post. |
| Assessment: |
The evaluation and interpretation of measurements and other information
to provide a basis for decision-making. |
| Assignments: |
Tasks given to resources to perform within a given operational period
that are based on operational objectives defined in the IAP. |
| Assistant: |
Title for subordinates of principal Command Staff positions. The title
indicates a level of technical capability, qualifications, and responsibility subordinate
to the primary positions. Assistants may also be assigned to unit leaders. |
| Assisting Agency: |
An agency or organization providing personnel, services, or other resources
to the agency with direct responsibility for incident management. See also Supporting Agency.
|
| Available Training Facilities: |
Available facilities refers to locations that are readily and immediately available to be utilized for NIMS training.
|
| Audit: |
A formal examination of an organization's or individual's accounts; a
methodical examination and review.
|
| Available Resources: |
Resources assigned to an incident, checked in, and available for a mission
assignment, normally located in a Staging Area. |
| Branch: |
The organizational level having functional or geographical responsibility
for major aspects of incident operations. A branch is organizationally situated between the
section and the division or group in the Operations Section, and between the section and units
in the Logistics Section. Branches are identified by the use of Roman numerals or by functional
area. |
| Chain of Command: |
A series of command, control, executive, or management positions in hierarchical
order of authority. |
| Check-In: |
The process through which resources first report to an incident. Check-in
locations include the incident command post, Resources Unit, incident base, camps, staging
areas, or directly on the site. |
| Chief: |
The ICS title for individuals responsible for management of functional
sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration, and Intelligence (if established
as a separate section). |
| Command: |
The act of directing, ordering, or controlling by virtue of explicit statutory,
regulatory, or delegated authority. |
| Command Staff: |
In an incident management organization, the Command Staff consists of
the Incident Command and the special staff positions of Public Information Officer, Safety
Officer, Liaison Officer, and other positions as required, who report directly to the Incident
Commander. They may have an assistant or assistants, as needed. |
| Committed Activities: |
Actions that an individual or an agency/department have agreed to see
through until completion. |
| Common Communications Plan (CCP): |
An interoperable communications plan designed to be utilized for multi-agency
and multi-jurisdictional incident management operations. All entities involved in managing the incident
will utilize common terminology, prescribed by the NIMS, for communications. |
| Common Operating Picture (COP): |
A broad view of the overall situation as reflected by situation reports, aerial
photography, and other information or intelligence. (Department of Homeland Security, National Incident
Management System (March 2004), 128; Department of Homeland Security, National Response Plan (December 2004), 64.)
|
| Communications Unit: |
An organizational unit in the Logistics Section responsible for providing
communication services at an incident or an EOC. A Communications Unit may also be a facility
(e.g., a trailer or mobile van) used to support an Incident Communications Center. |
| Constraints/Impediments |
Limitations or restrictions in conducting NIMS activities. The following list
defines the constraints/impediments:
Education: The knowledge or skill obtained or developed
by a learning process.
Equipment: Instrumentality needed for an undertaking or to perform a
service including its associated supplies. Equipment can range from small personal items such as search
and rescue gear (flashlights, dusk masks, etc.) to large-scale multi-jurisdictional systems (radio repeater
systems, computer networks, etc.).
Exercise: Opportunity provided to demonstrate, evaluate,
and improve the combined capability and interoperability of elements to perform assigned missions and tasks
to standards necessary to achieve successful outcomes. (http://www.mwcog.org/uploads/committee-documents/tVtYVlk20051031174251.doc)
Federal Standards: Common rules, conditions, guidelines or characteristics, established by the
Federal Government.
Funding:: Sources of revenue that are allocated or can be allocated
(pre-designated emergency funds) to support preparedness initiatives.
Organization: Individual
teams, an overall organizational structure, and leadership at each level in the structure that comply with
relevant laws, regulations, and guidance necessary to perform assigned missions and tasks. (
http://www.mwcog.org/uploads/committee-documents/tVtYVlk20051031174251.doc)
Personnel: Paid and volunteer staff who meet required qualification and certification standards
necessary to perform assigned missions and tasks.
(http://www.mwcog.org/uploads/committee-documents/tVtYVlk20051031174251.doc)
Plans: Documents such as procedures, mutual aid agreements, strategies, and other publications
that may describe some of the following: governance, management, standard operating procedures, technology,
and activities in support of defined missions and tasks. (http://www.mwcog.org/uploads/committee-documents/tVtYVlk20051031174251.doc)
Policy: A course of action, guidance, or principle intended to influence and guide decisions,
actions, and other matters.
Training: Specialized instruction and practice to improve performance
and lead to task proficiency. |
| Cooperating Agency: |
An agency supplying assistance other than direct operational or support
functions or resources to the incident management effort. |
| Coordinate: |
To advance systematically an analysis and exchange of information among
principals who have or may have a need to know certain information to carry out specific incident
management responsibilities. |
| Corrective Action: |
Improved procedures that are based on lessons learned from actual incidents or from training and exercises. |
| Corrective Action Plan: |
A process implemented after incidents or exercises to assess, investigate, and identify and implement appropriate
solutions to prevent repeating problems encountered. For additional information on CAPs please
visit https://hseep.dhs.gov/caps/Login.jsp |
| Critical Infrastructure: |
Systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the
incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security,
national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.
(Department of Homeland Security, National Response Plan (December 2004), 64.) |
| Deputy: |
A fully qualified individual who, in the absence of a superior, can be
delegated the authority to manage a functional operation or perform a specific task. In some
cases, a deputy can act as relief for a superior and, therefore, must be fully qualified in
the position. Deputies can be assigned to the Incident Commander, General Staff, and Branch
Directors. |
| Disciplines: |
A group of personnel with similar job roles and responsibilities. [e.g.
law enforcement, firefighting, Hazardous Materials (HazMat), Emergency Medical Services (EMS)]. |
| Dispatch: |
The ordered movement of a resource or resources to an assigned operational
mission or an administrative move from one location to another. |
| Division: |
The partition of an incident into geographical areas of operation. Divisions
are established when the number of resources exceeds the manageable span of control of the
Operations Chief. A division is located within the ICS organization between the branch and
resources in the Operations Section. |
| Emergency: |
Absent a Presidentially declared emergency, any incident(s), human-caused
or natural, that requires responsive action to protect life or property. Under the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, an emergency means any occasion
or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed
to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property
and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part
of the United States. |
| Emergency Incident: |
An urgent need for assistance or relief as a result of an action that will likely
lead to grave consequences. |
| Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC): |
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact is an interstate mutual aid agreement
that allows states to assist one another in responding to all kinds of natural and man-made disasters. It
is administered by the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). |
| Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs): |
The physical location at which the
coordination of information and resources to support domestic incident management
activities normally takes place. An EOC may be a temporary facility or may be located in
a more central or permanently established facility, perhaps at a higher level of
organization within a jurisdiction. EOCs may be organized by major functional
disciplines (e.g., fire, law enforcement, and medical services), by jurisdiction (e.g.,
Federal, State, regional, county, city, tribal), or some combination thereof. |
| Emergency Operations Plan (EOP): |
The steady-state plan maintained by various jurisdictional levels for managing
a wide variety of potential hazards. (Department of Homeland Security, National Response Plan
(December 2004), 65; Department of Homeland Security, National Incident Management System (March 2004), 129.) |
| Emergency Public Information (EPI): |
Information that is disseminated primarily in anticipation of an emergency
or during an emergency. In addition to providing situational information to the public, it
also frequently provides directive actions required to be taken by the general public. |
| Emergency Response Provider: |
Includes state, local, and tribal emergency public safety, law
enforcement, emergency response, emergency medical (including hospital emergency facilities),
and related personnel, agencies, and authorities. See Section 2 (6), Homeland Security Act
of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002). Also known as Emergency Responder.
|
| Entry-level First Responder: |
Entry-level first responders are defined as any responders who
are not a supervisor or manager.
|
| Equipment: |
The set of articles or physical resources necessary to perform or complete a task. |
| Equipment Acquisition: |
The process of obtaining resources to support operational needs. |
| Evacuation: |
Organized, phased, and supervised withdrawal, dispersal, or removal of
civilians from dangerous or potentially dangerous areas, and their reception and care in safe
areas. |
| Evaluation: |
The process of observing and recording exercise activities, comparing the
performance of the participants against the objectives, and identifying strengths and weaknesses. |
| Event: |
A planned, nonemergency activity. ICS can be used as the management system
for a wide range of events, e.g., parades, concerts, or sporting events. |
| Exercise: |
Exercises are a planned and coordinated activity allowing homeland security and emergency
management personnelfrom first responders to senior officialsto demonstrate training, exercise plans, and
practice prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities in a realistic but risk-free environment.
Exercises are a valuable tool for assessing and improving performance, while demonstrating community resolve
to prepare for major incidents. |
| Federal: |
Of or pertaining to the Federal Government of the United States of America.
|
| Federal Preparedness Funding: |
Funding designated for developing and/or enhancing State, Territorial, local,
and tribal preparedness capabilities. This includes all funding streams that directly or indirectly
support Homeland Security initiatives, e.g. Center for Disease Control and Health Resources and
Services Administration preparedness funds.
|
| Flexibility: |
A principle of the NIMS that provides a consistent, flexible, and adjustable
national framework within which government and private entities at all levels can work together to
manage domestic incidents, regardless of their cause, size, location, or complexity. This flexibility
applies across all phases of incident management: prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and
mitigation. (Department of Homeland Security, National Incident Management System (March 2004), 2.)
|
| Framework: |
A conceptual structure that supports or contains set of systems and/or practices.
|
| Function: |
Function refers to the five major activities in ICS: Command, Operations,
Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. The term function is also used when describing
the activity involved, e.g., the planning function. A sixth function, Intelligence, may be
established, if required, to meet incident management needs. |
| Funding: |
Financial resources available to assist in achievement of tasks associated with NIMS implementation. |
| General Staff: |
A group of incident management personnel organized according to function
and reporting to the Incident Commander. The General Staff normally consists of the Operations
Section Chief, Planning Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, and Finance/Administration
Section Chief. |
| Grantee: |
A person/group that has had monies formally bestowed or transferred. |
| Group: |
Established to divide the incident management structure into functional
areas of operation. Groups are composed of resources assembled to perform a special function
not necessarily within a single geographic division. Groups, when activated, are located between
branches and resources in the Operations Section. (See Division.)
|
| Hazard: |
Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause
of an unwanted outcome. |
| Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP): |
A capabilities- and performance-based exercise program that provides a standardized
policy, methodology, and language for designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating all exercises.
HSEEP also facilitates the creation of self-sustaining, capabilities-based exercise programs by providing
tools and resources such as guidance, training, technology, and direct support. For additional information
please visit the HSEEP toolkit at http://www.hseep.dhs.gov. |
| Improvement Plan: |
The After Action Report documents the performance of exercise related tasks and
makes recommendations for improvements. The Improvement Plan outlines the actions that the exercising
jurisdiction(s) plans to take to address recommendations contained in the AAR. |
| Incident: |
An occurrence or event, natural or human-caused, that requires an emergency
response to protect life or property. Incidents can, for example, include major disasters,
emergencies, terrorist attacks, terrorist threats, wildland and urban fires, floods, hazardous
materials spills, nuclear accidents, aircraft accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes,
tropical storms, war-related disasters, public health and medical emergencies, and other occurrences
requiring an emergency response. |
| Incident Action Plan (IAP): |
An oral or written plan containing general objectives reflecting
the overall strategy for managing an incident. For additional information, please see the NIMS document, page 96. |
| Incident Command Post (ICP): |
The field location at which the primary tactical-level, on-scene incident
command functions are performed. The ICP may be collocated with the incident base or other
incident facilities and is normally identified by a green rotating or flashing light. |
| Incident Command System (ICS): |
A standardized on-scene emergency management
system which provides for the adoption of an integrated organizational
structure. ICS is the combination of facilities,
equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common
organizational structure, designed to aid in the management of resources during incidents.
It is used for all kinds of emergencies, and is applicable to small as well as large and
complex incidents. For additional information please refer to the NIMS document, page 14 at
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/nims_doc_full.pdf . |
| Incident Commander (IC): |
The individual responsible for all incident activities, including the
development of strategies and tactics and the ordering and the release of resources. The IC
has overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident operations and is responsible
for the management of all incident operations at the incident site. |
| Incident Management Team (IMT): |
The IC and appropriate Command and General Staff personnel assigned to
an incident. |
| Incident Objectives: |
Statements of guidance and direction necessary for selecting appropriate
strategy(s) and the tactical direction of resources. Incident objectives are based on realistic
expectations of what can be accomplished when all allocated resources have been effectively
deployed. Incident objectives must be achievable and measurable, yet flexible enough to allow
strategic and tactical alternatives. |
| Incident-Specific Hazards: |
Anticipated events that may or may not occur that require coordinated response to
protect life or property, e.g., pandemic flu, avian flu, etc.
|
| Initial Action: |
The actions taken by those responders first to arrive at an incident site.
|
| Initial Response: |
Resources initially committed to an incident. |
| Institutionalize ICS: |
Government officials, incident managers and emergency response organizations
at all jurisdictional levels adopt the Incident Command System (ICS) and launch activities
[in FY 2005] that will result in the use of the ICS for all incident response operations.
Actions to institutionalize the use of ICS take place at two levels - policy and
organizational/operational. |
| Intelligence Officer: |
The intelligence officer is responsible for managing internal information,
intelligence, and operational security requirements supporting incident management activities.
These may include information security and operational security activities, as well as the
complex task of ensuring that sensitive information of all types (e.g., classified information,
law enforcement sensitive information, proprietary information, or export-controlled information)
is handled in a way that not only safeguards the information, but also ensures that it gets
to those who need access to it to perform their missions effectively and safely. |
| Interagency: |
An organization or committee comprised of multiple agencies. |
| Interoperability & Compatibility: |
A principle of the NIMS that holds that systems must be able to work together
and should not interfere with one another if the multiple jurisdictions, organizations, and functions
that come together under the NIMS are to be effective in domestic incident management. Interoperability
and compatibility are achieved through the use of such tools as common communications and data standards,
digital data formats, equipment standards, and design standards. (Department of Homeland Security, National
Incident Management System (March 2004), 55.) |
| Interstate: |
A region comprised of multiple states. |
| Intrastate: |
A region within a single state. |
| Inventory: |
An itemized list of current assets such as a catalog of the property or estate,
or a list of goods on hand. |
| Joint Information Center (JIC): |
A facility established to coordinate all incident-related public information
activities. It is the central point of contact for all news media at the scene of the incident. Public
information officials from all participating agencies should collocate at the JIC. For additional information
please refer to the NIMS document, page 14 or the NRP page 68.
|
| Joint Information System (JIS): |
Integrates incident information and public affairs into a cohesive organization
designed to provide consistent, coordinated, timely information during crisis or incident
operations. The mission of the JIS is to provide a structure and system for developing and
delivering coordinated interagency messages; developing, recommending, and executing public
information plans and strategies on behalf of the IC; advising the IC concerning public affairs
issues that could affect a response effort; and controlling rumors and inaccurate information
that could undermine public confidence in the emergency response effort. |
| Jurisdiction: |
A range or sphere of authority. Public agencies have jurisdiction at an
incident related to their legal responsibilities and authority. Jurisdictional authority at
an incident can be political or geographical (e.g., city, county, tribal, State, or Federal
boundary lines) or functional (e.g., law enforcement, public health). |
| Lessons Learned: |
Knowledge gained through operational experience (actual events or exercises) that
improve performance of others in the same discipline. For additional information please visit
https://www.llis.dhs.gov/ |
| Leverage: |
Investing with borrowed money as a way to amplify potential gains. |
| Liaison: |
A form of communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding
and cooperation. |
| Liaison Officer: |
A member of the Command Staff responsible for coordinating with representatives
from cooperating and assisting agencies. |
| Local Government: |
A county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority,
school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless
of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State
law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government;
an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or in Alaska a Native village or Alaska
Regional Native Corporation; a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public
entity. See Section 2 (10), Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135
(2002). |
| Logistics: |
Providing resources and other services to support incident management.
|
| Logistics Section: |
The section responsible for providing facilities, services, and material
support for the incident. |
| Major Disaster: |
As defined under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), a major disaster is
any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water,
wind-driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide,
mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or
explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the
President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major
disaster assistance under this Act to supplement the efforts and available resources
of States, tribes, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating
the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.
|
| Management by Objective: |
A management approach that involves a four-step process for achieving
the incident goal. The Management by Objectives approach includes the following: establishing
overarching objectives; developing and issuing assignments, plans, procedures, and protocols;
establishing specific, measurable objectives for various incident management functional activities
and directing efforts to fulfill them, in support of defined strategic objectives; and documenting
results to measure performance and facilitate corrective action. |
| Measure: |
A determination of a jurisdiction's specific level of NIMS compliance, evaluated
according to that jurisdiction's responses to the NIMS metrics that have been established by the NIMS
Integration Center (NIC). |
| Metric: |
Metrics are measurements in the form of questions that were derived from NIMS
implementations activities. These metrics were separated into two categories; tier 1 and tier 2. |
| Mitigation: |
The activities designed to reduce or eliminate risks to persons or property
or to lessen the actual or potential effects or consequences of an incident. Mitigation measures
may be implemented prior to, during, or after an incident. Mitigation measures are often informed
by lessons learned from prior incidents. Mitigation involves ongoing actions to reduce exposure
to, probability of, or potential loss from hazards. Measures may include zoning and building
codes, floodplain buyouts, and analysis of hazard-related data to determine where it is safe
to build or locate temporary facilities. Mitigation can include efforts to educate governments,
businesses, and the public on measures they can take to reduce loss and injury. |
| Mobilization: |
The process and procedures used by all organizations-state, local,
and tribal-for activating, assembling, and transporting all resources that have been requested
to respond to or support an incident. |
| Multiagency Coordination Entity: |
A multiagency coordination entity functions within a broader multiagency
coordination system. It may establish the priorities among incidents and associated resource
allocations, deconflict agency policies, and provide strategic guidance and direction to support
incident management activities. |
| Multiagency Coordination System (MACS): |
A Multi-Agency Coordination System is a
combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications integrated into a
common system with responsibility for coordinating and supporting domestic incident management activities (NIMS, 33). |
| Multijurisdictional Incident: |
An incident requiring action from multiple agencies that each have jurisdiction
to manage certain aspects of an incident. In ICS, these incidents will be managed under Unified
Command. |
| Mutual-Aid Agreement (MAA): |
A written agreement between agencies, organizations, and/or jurisdictions that
they will assist one another, on request, by furnishing personnel, equipment, and/or expertise in a
specified manner. For additional information on mutual aid, please visit
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/rm/ma.shtm . |
| National: |
Of a nationwide character, including the state, local, and tribal
aspects of governance and policy. |
| National Disaster Medical System (NDMS): |
A cooperative, asset-sharing partnership between the Department of Health
and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security,
and the Department of Defense. NDMS provides resources for meeting the continuity of care
and mental health services requirements of the Emergency Support Function 8 in the Federal
Response Plan. |
| National Incident Management System (NIMS): |
A system mandated by HSPD-5 that provides a consistent nationwide approach
for state, local, and tribal governments; the private-sector, and nongovernmental
organizations to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, respond to, and
recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity. To provide for
interoperability and compatibility among state, local, and tribal capabilities, the
NIMS includes a core set of concepts, principles, and terminology. HSPD-5 identifies these
as the ICS; multiagency coordination systems; training; identification and management of resources
(including systems for classifying types of resources); qualification and certification; and
the collection, tracking, and reporting of incident information and incident resources. |
| National Response Plan (NRP): |
A plan mandated by HSPD-5 that integrates Federal domestic prevention,
preparedness, response, and recovery plans into one all-discipline, all-hazards plan. For
additional information please visit www.dhs.gov/nrp. |
| National Response Plan Catastrophic Incident Annex (NRP-CIA): |
Establishes the context and overarching strategy for implementing and
coordinating an accelerated, proactive national response to a catastrophic incident. |
| National Response Plan Catastrophic Incident Supplement (NRP-CIS): |
Provides a list of the specific actions that are initiated upon activation of the NRP-CIA. |
| NIMS Adoption: |
The establishment of a legal authority (e.g. executive order, proclamation,
resolution, legislation, or other legal mandate) that requires all departments and agencies operating
within the jurisdiction to use NIMS principles and methodologies in their all-hazards incident management system. |
| NIMS Baseline: |
An initial assessment of NIMS compliance conducted in 2005 and/or 2006 by participating
jurisdictions at State, Territorial, local, and tribal levels. |
| National Integration Center (NIC): |
Provides strategic direction for and oversight of the National Incident
Management System. Supports routine maintenance and the continuous refinement of the system and
its components over the long term. |
| NIMS Compliance Assistance Tool (NIMSCAST): |
PThe NIMS Compliance Assistance Tool will be a self assessment instrument for State,
territorial, tribal, local, private sector, and non-governmental organizations to evaluate and report their
jurisdiction's achievement of all NIMS implementation activities. |
| NIMS Standard Curriculum: |
A curriculum designed to provide training on the NIMS. This curriculum will
be built around available federal training opportunities and course offerings that support NIMS
implementation. The curriculum also will serve to clarify training that is necessary for NIMS-compliance
and streamline the training approval process for courses recognized by the curriculum. Initially, the
curriculum will be made up of NIMS awareness training and training to support the Incident Command
System (ICS). Eventually it will expand to include all NIMS training requirements including training
established to meet national credentialing standards.
(http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/nsctd.pdf) |
| NIMS Promotion and Encouragement: |
Activities such as meetings (e.g., conferences, working groups, etc.), mailings
(e.g., newsletters, letters, etc.), email, or other established methods (e.g., broadcast media). |
| Nongovernmental Organization (NGO): |
An entity with an association that is based on interests of its members,
individuals, or institutions and that is not created by a government, but may work cooperatively
with government. Such organizations serve a public purpose, not a private benefit. Examples
of NGOs include faith-based charity organizations and the American Red Cross. |
| No-Notce Events: |
An occurrence or event, natural or human-caused, that requires an emergency response
to protect life or property (i.e. terrorist attacks and threats, wildland and urban fires, floods, hazardous materials spills, nuclear accident, aircraft accident, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, public health and medical emergencies etc.) |
| Operational Period: |
The time scheduled for executing a given set of operation actions, as
specified in the Incident Action Plan. Operational periods can be of various lengths, although
usually not over 24 hours. |
| Operations Section: |
The section responsible for all tactical incident operations. In ICS,
it normally includes subordinate branches, divisions, and/or groups. |
| Personnel Accountability: |
The ability to account for the location and welfare of incident personnel.
It is accomplished when supervisors ensure that ICS principles and processes are functional
and that personnel are working within established incident management guidelines. |
| Plain Language: |
Common terms and definitions that can be understood by individuals from all
responder disciplines. The intent of plain language is to ensure the clear and accurate communication
of information during an incident. For additional information, refer to http://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/plain_lang.pdf . |
| Planning: |
A method to developing objectives to be accomplished and incorporated into
a Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). |
| Planning Meeting: |
A meeting held as needed prior to and throughout the duration of an incident
to select specific strategies and tactics for incident control operations and for service
and support planning. For larger incidents, the planning meeting is a major element in the
development of the Incident Action Plan (IAP). |
| Planning Section: |
Responsible for the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of operational
information related to the incident, and for the preparation and documentation of the IAP.
This section also maintains information on the current and forecasted situation and on the
status of resources assigned to the incident. |
| Preparedness: |
The range of deliberate, critical tasks and activities necessary to build,
sustain, and improve the operational capability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and
recover from domestic incidents. Preparedness is a continuous process. Preparedness involves
efforts at all levels of government and between government and private-sector and nongovernmental
organizations to identify threats, determine vulnerabilities, and identify required resources.
Within the NIMS, preparedness is operationally focused on establishing guidelines, protocols,
and standards for planning, training and exercises, personnel qualification and certification,
equipment certification, and publication management. |
| Preparedness Assistance Funding Streams: |
Funds made available by Federal Departments and agencies to support State,
local, and tribal entities to prepare for, respond to, and manage the consequences of an all-hazards
incident. Allocation of preparedness funding is stipulated in a grant or guidelines of a particular
program. Monies can be used toward equipment acquisition, planning, operations, training, management
and administration, exercises, and mitigation against all hazards. |
| Preparedness Organizations: |
The groups and fora that provide interagency coordination for domestic
incident management activities in a nonemergency context. Preparedness organizations can include
all agencies with a role in incident management, for prevention, preparedness, response, or
recovery activities. They represent a wide variety of committees, planning groups, and other
organizations that meet and coordinate to ensure the proper level of planning, training, equipping,
and other preparedness requirements within a jurisdiction or area. |
| Preplanned Event: |
A preplanned event is a non-emergency activity. ICS can be used as the
management system for a events such as parades, concerts, or sporting events etc.. For additional
information please refer to the NIMS document, page 129. |
| Prevention: |
Actions to avoid an incident or to intervene to stop an incident from
occurring. Prevention involves actions to protect lives and property. It involves applying
intelligence and other information to a range of activities that may include such countermeasures
as deterrence operations; heightened inspections; improved surveillance and security operations;
investigations to determine the full nature and source of the threat; public health and agricultural
surveillance and testing processes; immunizations, isolation, or quarantine; and, as appropriate,
specific law enforcement operations aimed at deterring, preempting, interdicting, or disrupting
illegal activity and apprehending potential perpetrators and bringing them to justice. |
| Principle Coordinator: |
The position designated by the State Administrative Agency (SAA)
primarily responsible for coordination of all NIMS-related directives. This includes dissemination and
collection of information and monitoring and reporting on compliance activities. |
| Private Sector: |
Organizations and entities that are not part of any governmental structure.
It includes for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, formal and informal structures, commerce
and industry, and private voluntary organizations (PVO). |
| Processes: |
Systems of operations that incorporate standardized procedures, methodologies,
and functions necessary to provide resources effectively and efficiently. These include resource
typing, resource ordering and tracking, and coordination. |
| Public Information Officer (PIO): |
A member of the Command Staff responsible for interfacing with the public
and media or with other agencies with incident-related information requirements. |
| Public Information Systems: |
The processes, procedures, and systems for
communicating timely and accurate information to the public during crisis or emergency situations.
For additional information please refer to the NIMS document, page 35. |
| Publications Management: |
The publications management subsystem includes materials development,
publication control, publication supply, and distribution. The development and distribution
of NIMS materials is managed through this subsystem. Consistent documentation is critical
to success, because it ensures that all responders are familiar with the documentation used
in a particular incident regardless of the location or the responding agencies involved. |
| Qualification and Certification: |
This subsystem provides recommended qualification and certification standards
for emergency responder and incident management personnel. It also allows the development
of minimum standards for resources expected to have an interstate application. Standards typically
include training, currency, experience, and physical and medical fitness. |
| Reception Area: |
This refers to a location separate from staging areas, where resources
report in for processing and out-processing. Reception Areas provide accountability, security,
situational awareness briefings, safety awareness, distribution of IAPs, supplies and equipment,
feeding, and bed down. |
| Recovery: |
The development, coordination, and execution of service- and site-restoration
plans; the reconstitution of government operations and services; individual, private-sector,
nongovernmental, and public-assistance programs to provide housing and to promote restoration;
long-term care and treatment of affected persons; additional measures for social, political,
environmental, and economic restoration; evaluation of the incident to identify lessons learned;
postincident reporting; and development of initiatives to mitigate the effects of future incidents.
|
| Recovery Plan: |
A plan developed by a State, local, or tribal jurisdiction with assistance
from responding Federal agencies to restore the affected area. |
| Resources: |
Personnel and major items of equipment, supplies, and facilities available
or potentially available for assignment to incident operations and for which status is maintained.
Resources are described by kind and type and may be used in operational support or supervisory
capacities at an incident or at an EOC. |
| Resource Management: |
Efficient incident management requires a system for identifying available
resources at all jurisdictional levels to enable timely and unimpeded access to resources
needed to prepare for, respond to, or recover from an incident. Resource management under
the NIMS includes mutual-aid agreements; the use of special state, local, and tribal
teams; and resource mobilization protocols. |
| Resource Typing: |
Resource typing is the categorization of resources
that are commonly exchanged through mutual aid during disasters. Resource typing definitions help define
resource capabilities for ease of ordering and mobilization during a disaster. For additional information
please visit http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/rm/rt.shtm . |
| Resource Typing Standard: |
Categorization and description of response resources that are commonly exchanged
in disasters through mutual aid agreements. The FEMA/NIMS Integration Center Resource typing definitions
provide emergency responders with the information and terminology they need to request and receive the
appropriate resources during an emergency or disaster. |
| Resources Unit: |
Functional unit within the Planning Section responsible for recording
the status of resources committed to the incident. This unit also evaluates resources currently
committed to the incident, the effects additional responding resources will have on the incident,
and anticipated resource needs. |
| Response: |
Activities that address the short-term, direct effects of an incident.
Response includes immediate actions to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human needs.
Response also includes the execution of emergency operations plans and incident mitigation activities
designed to limit the loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and other unfavorable outcomes.
For additional information please see the NRP, page 72 or the NIMS document, page 136. |
| Response Asset Inventory: |
An inventory of the jurisdiction's resources that have been identified and
typed according to NIMS Resource Typing Standards. Development of a Response Asset Inventory
requires resource typing of equipment, personnel, and supplies identified in the inventories
of State resources. |
| Response Assets: |
Resources that include equipment, personnel and supplies that are used
in activities that address the effect of an incident. |
| Safety Officer: |
A member of the Command Staff responsible for monitoring and assessing
safety hazards or unsafe situations and for developing measures for ensuring personnel safety.
|
| Scalability: |
The ability of incident managers to adapt to incidents by either expanding
or reducing the resources necessary to adequately manage the incident, including the ability to
incorporate multiple jurisdictions and multiple responder disciplines. |
| Section: |
The organizational level having responsibility for a major functional
area of incident management, e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, Finance/Administration,
and Intelligence (if established). The section is organizationally situated between the branch
and the Incident Command. |
| Span of Control: |
The number of individuals a supervisor is responsible for, usually expressed
as the ratio of supervisors to individuals. (Under the NIMS, an appropriate span of control
is between 1:3 and 1:7.) |
| Self-certification: |
Attest as being true or as meeting a standard based on an agency?s or
department?s own evaluation of itself. |
| Staging Area: |
Location established where resources can be placed
while awaiting a tactical assignment. The Operations Section manages Staging Areas. |
| Standard Equipment List (SEL): |
A list issued annually to promote interoperability and standardization
across the response community at the local, state, and federal levels by offering a standard
reference and a common set of terminology. It is provided to the responder community by the
InterAgency Board for Equipment Standardization and Interoperability (IAB). The SEL contains
a list of generic equipment recommended by the IAB to organizations in preparing for and responding
to all-hazards. |
| Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): |
A complete reference document that details the procedures for performing
a single function or a number of independent functions. |
| Standardization: |
A principle of the NIMS that provides a set of standardized
organizational structuressuch as the Incident Command System (ICS), multi-agency coordination systems,
and public information systemsas well as requirements for processes, procedures, and systems designed
to improve interoperability among jurisdictions and disciplines in various area, including: training;
resource management; personnel qualification and certification; equipment certification; communications
and information management; technology support; and continuous system improvement. (Department of
Homeland Security, National Incident Management System (March 2004), 2.) |
| Standardized Terminology: |
ommonly accepted language that is consistent with policies, plans, or
procedures in the NIMS and NRP to facilitate multi-agency, multi-disciplinary or multi-jurisdictional
communications during an incident. |
| State: |
When capitalized, refers to any State of the United States, the District
of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession of the United States. See
Section 2 (14), Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002). |
| Strategic: |
Strategic elements of incident management are characterized by continuous
long-term, high-level planning by organizations headed by elected or other senior officials.
These elements involve the adoption of long-range goals and objectives, the setting of priorities;
the establishment of budgets and other fiscal decisions, policy development, and the application
of measures of performance or effectiveness. |
| Strategy: |
Plans, policies, procedures for how the State or Territory will achieve NIMS implementation. |
| Strike Team: |
A set number of resources of the same kind and type that have an established
minimum number of personnel. |
| Supporting Technologies: |
Any technology that may be used to support the NIMS is included in this
subsystem. These technologies include orthophoto mapping, remote automatic weather stations,
infrared technology, and communications, among various others. |
| Task Force: |
Any combination of resources assembled to support a specific mission or
operational need. All resource elements within a Task Force must have common communications
and a designated leader. |
| Technical Assistance (TA): |
Support provided to State, local, and tribal jurisdictions when they have
the resources but lack the complete knowledge and skills needed to perform a required activity
(such as mobile-home park design and hazardous material assessments). |
| Territory: |
A geographical area belonging to or under the jurisdiction of a governmental
authority; a part of the United States (U.S.) not included within any State but organized with a
separate legislature. |
| Terrorism: |
Under the Homeland Security Act of 2002, terrorism is defined as activity
that involves an act dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure
or key resources and is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State
or other subdivision of the United States in which it occurs and is intended to intimidate
or coerce the civilian population or influence a government or affect the conduct of a government
by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. See Section 2 (15), Homeland Security Act
of 2002, Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002). |
| Threat: |
An indication of possible violence, harm, or danger. |
| Tools: |
Those instruments and capabilities that allow for the professional performance
of tasks, such as information systems, agreements, doctrine, capabilities, and legislative
authorities. |
| Training: |
Specialized instruction and practice to improve performance and lead to enanced emergency management capabilities. |
| Training Curriculum: |
A course or set of courses designed to teach personnel specific processes, concepts, or task-oriented skills. |
| Tribal: |
Any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community,
including any Alaskan Native Village as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaskan
Native Claims Settlement Act (85 stat. 688) [43 U.S.C.A. and 1601 et seq.], that is recognized
as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians
because of their status as Indians. |
| Type: |
A classification of resources in the ICS that refers to capability. Type
1 is generally considered to be more capable than Types 2, 3, or 4, respectively, because
of size; power; capacity; or, in the case of incident management teams, experience and qualifications. |
| Unified Area Command (UAC): |
A Unified Area Command is established when incidents under an Area Command
are multijurisdictional. (See Area Command.) |
| Unified Command (UC): |
An application of ICS used when
there is more than one agency with incident jurisdiction or when incidents cross political
jurisdictions. Agencies work together through the designated members of the UC, often the
senior person from agencies and/or disciplines participating in the UC, to establish a common
set of objectives and strategies and a single IAP. |
| Unit: |
The organizational element having functional responsibility for a specific
incident planning, logistics, or finance/administration activity. |
| Unity of Command: |
The concept by which each person within an organization reports to one
and only one designated person. The purpose of unity of command is to ensure unity of effort
under one responsible commander for every objective. |
| Volunteer: |
For purposes of the NIMS, a volunteer is any individual accepted to perform
services by the lead agency, which has authority to accept volunteer services, when the individual
performs services without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation for services performed.
See, e.g., 16 U.S.C. 742f(c) and 29 CFR 553.101. |
